How Man United and Man City target Alexis Sanchez could leave Arsenal for free: Explaining the Bosman rule

Thanks to a landmark ruling from 1995, Sanchez can leave Arsenal for free this summer.

Jean-Marc Bosman was destined to be little more than a footnote in the annals of football history.

After a legal battle, his move from RFC Liege to French club Dunkerque on a free transfer in 1990 changed the footballing landscape.

This summer, a few high-profile players could leave for free thanks to the rule. If Arsenal manage to hold onto Alexis Sanchez through the January window, he's a prime candidate for a Bosman signing at the end of the season, while Schalke wonder kid Leon Goretzka will also be out of contract with Bayern Munich lurking.

They can start negotiating with other clubs now, and agree a pre-contract any time between now and the end of the season, and their current clubs will watch them leave for absolutely nothing.
All thanks to one determined player and his moment of history. Check out the video above to see just how the Bosman rule came into being.

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Andy Carroll to Chelsea and David Luiz to Arsenal among the craziest transfer rumours this January

Theo Walcott is one of a number of players linked with surprise destinations.

There's a reason the transfer window is also called silly season. With the tabloids ready to jump on the slightest hint of a sensational move, every window comes with its fair share of scarcely believable rumours.

But it's not just rivalries that make some transfer rumours laughable; sometimes, it's just the sheer absurdity of them. Who would have believed that Nicklas Bendtner would go to Juventus, or Emmanuel Adebayor could end up at Real Madrid?

Those particular crazy rumours actually ended up being true, of course, but there are always plenty, in every window, which would make any fan think, "no way that's going to happen".

The current window's crazy rumours feature players like Theo Walcott and Andy Carroll - always favourites of the rumour mill. Check out the video to see who they've been linked with.